Onion Facts

Interesting Onion Facts

Onion facts are probably the furthest thing from your mind when you are crying as you cut one up. However, have you ever been even a little bit interested in why you cry or what gives them their strong smell? A few facts related to the onion may even help you discover how you can avoid crying when you cut them. If you enjoy onions, and cook with them frequently, you are going to enjoy learning a little bit more about them.

Onions have been found to have several health benefits that you may not have known about. They have been used to help treat scurvy and they can help treat diarrhea and colds. They may help you if you have gallstones as well. If you are cold, you may want to think about eating some onions. Why? Because they can increase your body heat.

Onion facts include information on why you cry when you eat them. This is caused because you are actually releasing sulfurous acid when you cut the cell of the onion. This is a colorless acid that makes you cry because it is so strong. There are some ways that you can reduce this effect when you are cutting them. First of all, you can cut the onion under running water. It is a fact that you will be washing the acid away as you are cutting and you will not smell it so strongly. You could also freeze the onion for approximately 15 minutes before you cut it. This will freeze the enzyme that causes you such terrible pain.

Onion facts also include how to get rid of that strong smell on your breath and on your hands. If you eat some coffee grounds or chew on a leaf of mint you are going to be able to take the smell out of your breath. If you then wash your hands with vinegar or lemon juice you will take the smell out of your skin.

It is a fact that onions can be frozen. However, they are going to lose some of their flavor and they will become soft the longer they are frozen. Therefore, if you are going to freeze an onion you are going to want to peel them and cut them. Then place them into a bag and remove the air from it so that they will remain fresh even longer.

Did you know that you could store sweet onions in pantyhose? Well, it is true, you can. You can drop them down into the pantyhose, tie it above the onion and repeat, as many times as you would like. You will then hang this in a cool, ventilated place. This is sure to keep your onion sweet until you are ready to use it.

More interesting onion facts that you may enjoy include the knowledge that there is a Vidalia onion Hall of Fame that was created in 1991. This was created to honor the individuals that have worked so hard to produce and distribute the Vidalia onion. This onion is so popular that in 1990 it was made the official state vegetable of Georgia. Now that is one strong onion if you ask me.

So, there you have it. Some very interesting onion facts. Now when you are cooking with these sweet, or smelly, vegetables you will be able to share some interesting information about them. It makes cooking with them more fun and your kids may be interested in learning some of these facts while you are cooking together. It is always nice to have conversation while cooking and eating. Why not discuss the onion tonight?